Anonymous university Web critic steps forward

By The Associated Press

06.03.02

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MONROE, La. — The anonymous author of online criticism of University of Louisiana-Monroe administrators has been identified as an associate professor in economics and finance at the school.

John L. Scott, who has worked at the university since 1989, has identified himself as the author of the criticisms posted on a Web site, university President James Cofer said in a May 30 written statement. Scott visited Cofer's office recently to admit hosting the site, Cofer said.

Scott claimed May 31 to be the Webmaster of www.thetruthatulm.homestead.com.

A spokesman for Homestead, the Internet service provider for the Web site, said company attorneys may soon provide more information about other people who posted data on Truth at ULM to attorneys for Richard Baxter, ULM's vice president of external affairs.

Homestead removed Truth at ULM from the Internet on May 31.

Homestead spokesman Josh Weinberg said May 31 that its attorneys may soon release the Internet protocol addresses of those who posted material on the site and the name of the credit card holder who paid for the Web site.

Internet protocol address could reveal the location of the computers used to post data to Truth at ULM. Further research could provide the identity of people who used the computers.

Some time during the last two years, Scott signed a user agreement with Homestead. Part of the agreement calls for the user to indemnify Homestead from action of the user should legal action occur.

Scott declined to say how or when he posted information on the Web site during its two years of operation.

Scott also wouldn't reveal the names of other individuals who provided him information or who wrote for the Web site.

Attorneys for Baxter filed documents in federal court last August asking the judge to order Homestead to provide the identities of people who operated and posted on the Web site.

Weinberg wouldn't say whether he knew of anyone other than Scott associated with the Web site.

"That's information that's private," Weinberg said.

Michael Rhymes, the lawyer representing the site's author, declined to comment on Cofer's statement. Rhymes has declined to say if more than one person is behind the site.

The News-Star of Monroe quoted from Cofer's statement: "Critical inquiry by faculty on a university campus is a necessary part of legitimate academic endeavors, and open discourse is vital to that inquiry.

"A dissenting voice can be the catalyst for significant improvement, but when open discourse is prohibited because the source is anonymous, problems arise. The issue here is more than a Web site per se, it is the prevention of free and open dialogue, which I believe is critical to the growth and progress of any institution."

If Scott is the author of the criticism, he is also the target of a lawsuit from Baxter.

Baxter filed a petition in 2001 in an attempt to force the author's identity to be made public. In April, Baxter sued over the criticism, seeking damages from John Does, because of injury to Baxter's reputation, loss of career advancement and loss of business opportunity.

Many of the site's barbs were directed at Lawson Swearingen, university president for 10 years until he resigned in December 2001.

Cofer was hired by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors late last year and took office as ULM's new president in late March.

The site offered a variety of writing styles and information that Scott claimed was received from anonymous sources. He said he attempted to check out the information before it was posted on the Web site.

Scott, an Alexandria native, has focused his research on microeconomics, electronic commerce and economics and terrorism. He has helped run discussion groups on Internet provider America Online and has been Webmaster for the university honors program and the department of economics and finance.

He received his doctorate in economics from the University of South Carolina in 1990.

Scott's dissertation was called "The Deterrence of Terrorism: Terrorist Rationality and Government Signaling." His most recent publication was "Media Congestion Limits Media Terrorism," in Defense and Peace Economics in July 2001, according to his resume.

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Anonymous online critics try to block order to reveal identities
Federal magistrate misapplied the Communications Decency Act, which is meant to curb pornography, not stifle free speech, says attorney for university detractors.  10.24.01